The Secret of a Beating Heart
by SilverWingDragon151
Summary: When Riku was ten, a dark demon paid him a visit. From that day, he's been cursed to wander aimlessly, as a spirit. His parents moved from the house out of grief, leaving him to his own. Not long after they've gone, a new family moved into the haunted residence. (*)You're not living if you don't have a beating heart.(*)
1. Gone Without a Goodbye

Leave me alone!" A boy, no older than ten, shrieked at the approaching shadows. The boy had silver hair that reached just past his ears, and his eyes – filled with tears – were a stunning aquamarine blue. He tried to back away from the onslaught of darkness that steadily crept towards him, and let out a small whimper when his back hit the wall behind him. The boy could have sworn he saw the darkness smirk at him, somehow, before it completely surrounded him. He tried to scream for his parents, he tried to run away again, but he found that he could not make any noise, and that he could not move. He could feel his heart slowly coming to a stop, and suddenly a wave of cold hit him.

The darkness chuckled and whispered to the boy.

"You will remain a prisoner of this place forever. You will become something that everyone fears, never to be loved."

The boy's eyes widened, showing intense fear, exactly what this demon fed off of. He breathed in a jagged breath, and could barely squeak out the three letter word.

"…Why?" The demon merely laughed at him.

"Now you'll be just like me, little Riku. Do you see this darkness? Someday, this is what you will become!" The demon was crazed, a bitter creature. "Now, be cautious. The change happens quicker than you think – Ah! – Just look here. You're already turning transparent!" The dark demon released whatever hold it had on Riku, and the boy found that he could move his arms, but his feet remained planted to the spot.

He raised his hands to eye-level, and was rendered speechless for a few moments before he let out an ear-splintering yell. The yell, however, was muffled by the darkness. Riku began to hyperventilate, his breathing pattern becoming messy and frantic.

When Riku had looked at his hands, he found that they had become translucent. The boy could barely see them.

Suddenly, Riku looked at a fixed spot in the darkness that surrounded him. He was still panicking, but he seemed more in control of himself. His eyes were fixed into an icy glare.

"I hate you." The words were spoken with such venom, and if they would have been spoken to anyone other than the demon, they might have shivered.

However, it was the demon who he was speaking to, so he only received mocking laughter and a praising word.

"Good." With that, the demon with the power over complete darkness left in a swirl that surrounded Riku. Slowly, the darkness dissipated from the room.

Riku stood there in terror, looking at himself. Tears fell from his eyes without him having to blink. His entire body was translucent and a sickly pale. Exasperated, he collapsed on the spot and hugged his knees to his chest. Sobs wracked his body as he completely broke down.

However, there was a part of him that refused to believe he was really this way. Riku forced himself to calm down, and he wiped his eyes. He stood from his spot on the floor and walked uneasily to the mirror that hung on the wall across the room. He looked into it.

He saw nothing.

Riku felt a slight prickle behind his eyes again, and his stomach churned. He felt a sob collecting in his chest, but he swallowed it down. He was stronger than this. He could find a way over thi-

Writing appeared in the mirror.

"The future has already been written."

Riku stared at the words for a long time.

He thought about them until he heard a knock at his door, followed by a soft voice.

"Riku, are you still awake? Your father and I are going to sleep now, come and say good night." It was his mother. Moments of silence passed, and quietly, she opened his door.

"Riku…Riku? Where are you sweetie?" She entered the room and searched for a while before calling down to her husband, "Honey, have you seen Riku? He's not in his room…"  
He suddenly appeared at her side,

"No, are you sure that he's not in here? I can't think of any reason that he would leave the house…"

Riku watched the verbal exchange for several moments before he finally spoke up.

"Mom! Dad! I didn't leave the house! I'm right here! Look at me…" When they didn't even acknowledge that he'd spoken, he walked over to them, and tried to touch them. He went right through them, and once he'd passed through, his mother shivered and stated,

"It's quite cold in here… maybe he'd gone into another room that's warmer. Let's check the rest of the house." His father nodded in agreement.

"Alright, you finish looking on this floor; I'll look on the second floor. After we search, meet back here, okay?" His mother nodded, and they both moved out of the room.

Riku remained stationary, however.

Minutes turned to hours as he heard his parents talking about him and his mysterious disappearance. Their casual talk soon turned into worried, frantic conversation. His father had called the police a while ago, and they were just now pulling into the driveway. The doorbell's elegant chime resounded throughout the entire house, far too peppy for the current situation. He saw his mother rush down the hallway, past his room to go answer it. She was in tears, and he could hear her heart-wrenching sobs as she passed.

It was enough to make Riku cry all over again, so he did.

The police had said that they couldn't file a missing persons report unless the person had been missing for over twenty-four hours. It hasn't been that long let, but it's not like it would matter. They could wait months – years even – and nothing would change. They'd never find him, no matter how long they waited, because Riku no longer exists.

They tried waiting anyway.

As soon as twenty-four hours had passed, his parents had filed a missing persons report. The police had started a search immediately, complete with search dogs. They had found nothing.

As soon as a week had passed, they had told all of their close relatives, who had given them a false sense of hope and support. Riku always listened to the conversations that his parents had with other people. He knew exactly what was going on, but he couldn't say anything.

As soon as a month passed, his parents had told all their other family members and their friends. They had received a lot of flowers and cards then, saying just how much sorrow and sympathy they all had. That just seemed to make everything worse.

As soon as a year passed, the pain seemed to dull down a bit. The house was an unwanted reminder of their precious child who had been spirited away. His parents decided that it would be in their best interest to move away and start a new life, one void of the antagonizing pain. They packed all of their bags, and moved out on the second of October.

Riku watched the scene unfold before him emotionlessly. He knew that it would be the last time he would ever see his parents, but he found that his sentiment had drained away along with his existence. He realized that it doesn't matter. No one would be able to see him, even if he would have been able to leave the wretched house. Riku was trapped here, and that dark being from a year ago was right. He was going to wonder here forever, never to know love, never to know anything. The demon was right; Riku was going to end up just like him.

The men who worked for the moving company finished loading everything from the house into the moving truck. They called for his parents, but they had gone upstairs. He looked around for a bit before deciding to see them a final time.

He walked up the stairs, still expecting the third one from the top to creak under his weight, but it never does. Riku suppresses his sadness as he sees his parents standing outside of his room. His father was embracing his wife loosely, and she was crying in his chest weakly. She pulled away from him slightly, still caught in his arms. She wiped her eyes and cleared her throat.

"I miss him so much…" Her voice was frail and tears continued to fall down her pale face. His father clutched her tighter.

"I know. Me too." Riku knew that his father felt like crying, too, by the way his voice wobbled, but Riku also knew his dad was trying to be strong for his wife.

Riku walked over to them and stood next to his mother. He gave it a few moments, but then hesitantly raised his arms around his parents. He felt a cold tear travel down his face.

The three of them remained there, motionless, for a long while. When Riku parted from them, his mother spoke.

"I think… I think I'm ready now." His father nodded at her, and Riku smiled weakly at them before moving back down the stairs. His parents trailed behind him.

Riku leaned against the wall as he watched his parents move towards the door. His father opened it for them, but neither of them moved.

His mother turned around and gave a final glance to the bare house. She gave a delicate smile and spoke in a feather-light whisper before they departed.

"Happy birthday, Riku. We love you." With those final words, Riku watched his family leave his life and move into another. He averted his gaze when he saw the van beginning to move out of the driveway.

Even after the sense of his life had disappeared, Riku still remained.

Even after the sight of his family had vanished, Riku still remained.

Even after the sounds of a loud, rumbling truck had dissipated, Riku still remained.

Riku still remained. Without a purpose, without anything.

Long after everything was gone, and he remained, he went up to his room and sat on the window sill, watching. He hoped that something would arrive, that something would remain.

It took a little over three months, but something did appear. It was the seventh of January when another moving van pulled into the driveway, roaring just as loudly as the last one had.

He watched indifferently as the truck backed up to his front door. Once it was there, the engine was cut and two men moved out of the vehicle. They moved inside of the house to get a closer look. Riku moved downstairs to observe them. He didn't notice when a small black Toyota Camry pulled into the driveway and parked to the side of the moving van.

Riku lividly followed the men around his house, listening to the plans they had.

"First we should focus on moving all of the larger items in. That way there's more room to maneuver."

"That's a good idea, but how about we talk to the owners? I mean, it's their house and their stuff. Not to mention, they're the ones paying us."

"Good point."

Riku turned around and prepared to storm back up to his room, but when he passed the front door, he stopped. He saw four people. Two adults, a teenager and a child about his age. The two adults were males. One of them had golden blond hair that sat messily on his head. It seemed to do what it wanted to, sticking out in many different directions. He had blue eyes, not to bright, not too dark. He was walking beside the small teenager, who was a spitting image of him. Blond hair, blue eyes. Only difference was that the younger had a bit rounder shape of a face.

They were about to enter the house, but Riku smirked and decided to poke some fun. He'd seen this in movies, how hard could it be? He walked up to the door and pushed on it with all his might as the family tried to enter. It had worked for a split second, as the eldest blond was confused as to why the door was stuck. Shortly after, though, he managed it open, and Riku moved back slightly as they walked into the house.

Riku briefly turned his attention to the movers who had come up beside him. He glared a cold glare at them, but then resumed his basic analysis of the newcomers.

The other adult had much more tame hair. It was a dark brown color, one that matched the color of his eyes. He was carrying the youngest boy, who also had brown hair, but of a lighter shade. Upon closer observation, Riku realized that the boy was asleep. He lazily wondered what color his eyes were, but he didn't dawdle on the subject. Instead, he tuned himself into the conversation the four adults were having.

"I trust there were no issues with the transportation of our items?" The brunet asked the movers suspiciously. The blond shot him a look as if to tell him to be more polite. The brunet merely rolled his eyes at the other.

"No issues, sir, everything went well. We're just waiting on the other vans." The brunet was about to reply to him, but the blond beat him to it.

"Thank you. Please don't mind Leon, he's just under a lot of stress right now. I'm Cloud, by the way." The blond stuck out his hand, and one of the movers shook it.

"No problem. It's a nice house you've got here. Can't see why anyone would want to get rid of it." Riku watched the interaction silently, glaring ferociously at all of them.

"I know, we got it quite the deal on it. I'm glad we finally have a place to call our own." Cloud said, looking around the wide interior of the house. "All our own."

Riku lost it at that, turning wildly to stomp his way up the steps. He had learned that the third step from the top would not creak under his weight. He paused in surprise when there was a faint noise from under his feet. He heard the others quiet down, too. They were looking in his direction, but not at him, because he's not there.

He's not there, but he's all that remains.

Riku got his emotions under control and calmly went back up to his room. He sat on the window sill, looking out as he listened to the adults talk downstairs.

Soon he heard loud noises and some low yelling coming from below. He figured that they were moving everything into the house now, and he saw a second van pull into the driveway. Riku thought he heard Cloud telling Leon that he should put someone named Sora someplace quieter so he'd be able to sleep with more ease. Riku had to figure that Sora was the boy who had been sleeping since he got here.

It was about five minutes after when he heard someone moving up the steps. Riku could tell that they were almost at the top of the steps when a faint creak resounded. The third step from the top.

"Alright, here we go." He saw the brunet walk into his room, holding the half awake boy, a pillow, and a blue blanket. "Cloud and I will be right downstairs, okay?" The brunet yawned and nodded his head lazily. Leon smiled at him and set him on the floor so he could create a makeshift bed for the child. He put the pillow against the wall and draped the blanket over it. He picked the boy up and laid his head on the pillow. Leon folded the blanket over his body, so he was both lying on it and under it. He smoothed back the hair on the sleepy boy's head, but it just sprung back into place. Riku watched from the window sill as Leon spoke softly to the child while placing a light kiss to his head.

"Sleep well, Sora. We'll be right downstairs." With that, he left the room, closing the door, but leaving it open just a crack. It was much quieter in the room after that, but the loud talking was instead replaced with the quiet breathing and occasional snore from the slumbering brunet.

Riku watched him for a while. He watched his chest rise and fall soundlessly as he breathed. He watched as he readjusted himself unconsciously into a more comfortable position. Riku found himself envious of the boy. Sora, they had called him. He tisked and looked out the window.

There was still a small persistent thought in the back of his mind.

 _What color are his eyes?_

Riku banished the thought and instead looked to the beautifully blue sky. He doubted there was anything prettier than the sky. The sky was so endless and free. It would be difficult for anything to ever pass up that beauty.

The colors of the sky began to shift, and Riku watched. However, the sky was not the only essence that was moving. The small brunet started twisting and turning, and when Riku looked at the boy he could easily see that he was sweating.

Intrigued, Riku stood from the window sill and walked over to the boy. He sat down next to him soundlessly and watched for a few moments before the thought struck him.

Was he having a nightmare? Riku observed on a closer scale, coming to the conclusion that yes, the brunet was having a terrible dream. He felt a pang of sympathy for him, and raised his translucent hand to brush away the hair that stuck to his forehead. Of course, it didn't work, but when his hand made false contact, Sora leaned into the touch.

Odd, Riku thought. Maybe he enjoyed the cool chill he brought along with him. That makes sense, since whenever Riku had nightmares, he always burned up.

Riku's eyebrows furrowed as he could feel Sora starting to wake up. He moved his hand away, and a few seconds later, eyes as alluring as the beautiful blue sky snapped open and a small, terrified voice called out.

"No!" It took a few moments for him to realize that it was all a dream, but when he did, he closed his eyes tightly and shook his head of the nightmare. Sora let out a shaky breath and sat up. He leaned against the wall, his eyes still closed. He threw the covers off his body, feeling way too warm. The brunet was shaking.

Riku was surprised that a dream could affect someone that much. He tisked and figured the boy was overdramatic.

"It's just a dream." Riku was shocked about the words that fell from his mouth. He hadn't spoken aloud in about a year, and he forgot what he sounded like. He sighed and stood to move back to the window sill. He liked looking at the stars in the evening sky, and the night was approaching fast.

"It's not just a dream!" Riku froze in place. He turned around in a quick blur and looked at the boy, whose eyes were open. They were showing a fierce intensity as they looked at Riku, who choked on air. Sora cradled his head in his hands and spoke again, "It was all real…" He began crying again, but then he suddenly froze. He raised his head slowly and looked at Riku again.

"You…you're…" His eyes went wide, and Riku still hadn't recovered from his shock from earlier.

"You can… see… me..?"

"Y-you're…" Sora stood up slowly, not allowing his tear brimmed eyes to part from Riku. He moved slowly towards the door.

"You can… see me." Riku took a step forward, moving to the brunet. He, in turn, let out a shriek and ran for the door.

Cloud and Leon met him there.

"Sora! What's the matter?!" Cloud spoke in a worried tone. Both of them were breathing heavily from the hard labor they'd preformed. Sora just ran into their arms and started talking gibberish.

"Whoa, easy Sora, it's okay. Slow down, we can't understand you." Leon spoke, getting down on one knee to comfort Sora. He put his hand on Sora's head, patting the soft spikes.

"The- the ghost…" Leon and Cloud shared a knowing look.

"Is it the dream again, Sora?" Sora suddenly broke away from them.

"No! It's _not_ a dream!" They hushed the brunet.

"Okay, Sora. It's alright. Just try to calm down. We're here for you now. It's okay. We won't let anything hurt you." Cloud spoke, not waiting for a reply before speaking again. "Guess what, Sor? Supper is just about done. Are you ready to eat?" Sora's face lit up slightly, and before he could verbally respond, his stomach growled for him. The three of them laughed aloud, and made their way downstairs.

Before Sora left the room, though, he saw Riku sitting at the window, looking dejected. He felt a small prickle of guilt hit him, but he eased the feeling away. Ghosts were scary and mean. This one was no different.

When he heard them going down the stairs, he felt another presence. Riku turned his head to look, and he saw the blond boy from earlier poking his head in the doorway. The blond shrugged and went downstairs to join the rest of his family in their meal.

Riku decided to stay in his room while their family did family-like things. If he were to go and watch, he would just feel the bitter biting of cruel nostalgia. Not to mention, he'd probably scare Sora to death. Riku sighed, and suddenly a familiar voice spoke to him from the darkest parts of his mind.

 _"You will remain a prisoner of this place forever. You will become something that everyone fears, never to be loved."_

Sorrowful, Riku continued to look out at the stars. The more he lives this eternal life, the more he realizes that everything that demon had said so long ago was correct.

Riku stared at the stars, hoping they'd give him an answer. They never did. He stared harder. Nothing. This can't possibly be his fate, can it? Riku doesn't want this to be how he is. He wants to be seen. He wants to be known. Riku just wants to exist. But he can't.

Riku drew his knees up onto the window sill, and for the first time in a long time, he completely broke down into a sob. He folded his arms on his knees and placed his head in them. He cried and cried. Riku was tired of having no one to look after him; he was tired of not being loved by his family. He had to act so strong for himself, but he was exhausted. In reality, he was just a scared eleven year old. It wasn't fair that he was already on his own, and that he would have to remain that way for the rest of eternity.

Well, there was always Sora, but Riku figured it was a lost cause to find a friendship with the boy because he was so afraid of him.

Riku couldn't stop crying. He couldn't stop, not even when he felt a small hand trying to touch his shoulder. He did, however, look up sharply. What he found was a pair of terrified sky blue eyes staring at him. They had a few tears in them, but the brunet was staring at him bravely. Sora took a deep breath before he spoke in a wobbly voice.

"I-I'm really s-sorry…" His eyes turned downcast to the floor. Riku wiped his eyes free of lingering tears, but it was pointless, for more just replaced them. Sora hesitantly looked up at him and moved slowly to sit on the other side of the window sill that Riku sat on. He looked up at the stars, too, and Riku could see every single one reflected in his eyes.

"Whoa…it's so pretty…" Sora spoke with great enthusiasm, placing his hand against the cold glass. Riku turned his gaze from the boy to the sky. It was a perfectly clear night.

"Yeah, I know." He spoke in a quiet voice. He was no longer crying in such extreme amounts, but there was still the occasional tear that fell from his eyes. Soon, they subsided completely.

The two of them continued to stare at the stars, taking in their raw beauty. The house was far from the city lights, and so it was a natural dark outside, and it contrasted with the stars nicely. It was an astonishing scene that would be seemingly endless.

It might have been, if it weren't for Leon walking into the room.

"Hey kiddo, I've gotta fly. Duty calls. Cloud's downstairs and Roxas is going through all of his boxes. You can too, if you want. I'll be home tomorrow morning, be good." He came over to Sora and placed a kiss on his forehead. He ruffled his hair and looked out the window. "Sure is nice outside today." Leon looked around the room. "It is a bit chilly in here. Do you want me to turn the heat up?"

Sora smiled at him gratefully before replying in a cheery voice.

"Nah, I'm okay, thanks though! I love you; have a good day at work." He smiled again and hugged the older brunet, who happily returned the embrace. He started walking back outside of the room, responding as he did so.

"I love you too, Sora." He waved as he closed the door until there was nothing but a crack left open. When he was gone, Sora let out a big breath he hadn't realized he was holding in.

"So…" Sora started. He trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"How old are you?" Riku questioned the other boy. Sora perked up at the question.

"I turned ten in December!" He spoke excitedly, and then asked the same question, "What about you?" He looked at the other boy in curiosity, seeming to forget the fact that he wasn't human.

"I turned eleven in October." Riku answered, watching the boy look slightly dejected.

"Oh, no fair! You're older than me…" Riku chuckled a little bit at the pout Sora wore, and then brought a hand to his mouth to stifle it. _Where had that come from?_ He wondered to himself. Sora was looking at him wide eyed, too. Before long, though, he was smiling a bright simper to the other.

Sora looked to the side sheepishly then.

"So, I kinda have to ask… Why are you here?" He asked, sheepish smile still present.

"This is my home, and we're in my room. The real question is why _you_ are here."

"This can't be your room, this is my room! And Leon and Cloud bought this house. So, why are you still here? Why didn't you follow your family?" Riku had a crestfallen look after Sora said all of that, and the brunet felt bad for asking.

"Well, I can't leave this house. I've been cursed to wander here forever. Never to be loved, only to be feared. My family left and your family moved in." Sora looked at him in disbelief.

"There's gotta be someone who loves you!" He spoke to the ghostly figure.

"Well, you're the only one who can see me, and by the looks of it, you hate me." Riku averted his gaze to look out at the night sky again. The stars twinkled teasingly at him, reminding him that he was trapped while they were free.

"…I don't hate you. I was just really scared because I woke up from a really scary dream memory thing…" Sora looked down at his feet.

"It seemed pretty scary." Riku replied, half of him hoping to hear what it was about, but the other half not really caring.

"It was! There was darkness and it was smirking at me and the demon man… he was trying to get me! He had yellow eyes and he told me that I'd be just like him. He tried to corner me, and right as the darkness was about to surround me I woke up. I saw you and I was really scared! I didn't know you and I could see through you… I thought that maybe you were like the demon man…" I trailed off, but then continued hastily, "But I can see now that you're way different from him!" He smiled sheepishly at the other, but the smile fell when he saw Riku frowning and looking distant. "Hey, are you okay?" He asked.

Riku didn't reply for a long time, but when he did, he replied with a question.

"You said that these weren't dreams… but memories?" In response, Sora nodded shortly.

"Yeah. It happened a few nights ago. I wasn't able to get any sleep for a really long time… Sometimes I still can't sleep. It's a really scary nightmare…"

"I know." Riku replied without skipping a beat.

"You...know?" Sora asked, confused.

Riku nodded but then stood up from the window sill. I stretched his arms over his head and began walking towards the door.

"Wait, where are you going? You can't just leave it at that!" Sora sprung up from his own spot at the window sill and followed the ghostly boy.

"Just watch me," Was all the reply he received. Sora pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Fine!"

"Fine."

Sora moved next to him as they walked down the steps.

"So, uh, what's your name, anyway?"

Riku looked over to the nosy brunet as he answered.

"My name's Riku." He couldn't help but allow a small smile appear on his face when he saw the on Sora wore.

"Hi Riku. I'm Sora!"

Riku looked at him for a moment longer, swearing he felt something in his chest thump once then stop. He played it off coolly.

"I know." Sora grumpily mumbled something under his breath and Riku raised his eyebrows at him.

"What was that?" He questioned the younger.

"Nothing!" Sora replied quickly before bounding down the steps excitedly. "Come on, let's go meet Roxas!" He said excitedly with joy in his eyes. Riku followed the brunet, rolling his eyes in an affectionate gesture. It was nice to be able to have a conversation again with someone else. It had gotten rather lonely on his own, Riku decided.

Sora waited at the bottom of the steps for Riku to get there. They looked at each other for a moment before walking into the living room, which was stacked full of boxes. The movers had long ago left, leaving the unpacking to the owners.

Sora saw Roxas going through his boxes, just as Leon had told him. The brunet approached the blond, and the said blond looked up for a moment to spare a glance at his brother.

"Hey Sora, what's up?" Roxas half-heartedly asked, mostly focused on going through his belongings. Sora watched him as he answered his brother.

"Not too much, have you seen any of my boxes?" Sora asked, following the finger that pointed in a direction of a few boxes he recognized.

"Yeah, I think they're over there. The movers were pretty cool and they ended up putting our boxes into sections depending on what we labeled them. All of yours should be in that area." Sora smiled at him and began walking to the aforementioned spot, and sure enough, there were multiple boxes labeled with his name.

"Yeah, here they are! Thanks Rox!" Sora sat down and looked at Riku, who was still standing in the entrance of the living room. Sora raised his eyebrows at him, not stupid enough to say anything to him with Roxas in the room. Riku sighed and moved across the room. He saw Roxas shiver from the corner of his eye, but the blond said nothing.

"Hmm…Which one did I put it in..?" Sora spoke to himself as he opened random boxes. Curiosity filled Riku, and he couldn't help asking.

"What are you looking for?" His eyes scanned the boxes questioningly.

"A silver necklace with a crown pennant." Sora whispered almost inaudibly under his breath, so only Riku could hear him.

"Okay." Riku closed his eyes and relaxed as Sora searched. He took a deep breath and focused really hard on his surroundings. A sudden bustle of aura in his vision made him walk over to a box in the corner.

"Hey Sora, I think it might be in this box over here." Sora looked over to him, a confused look on his face. He put the remains of the box he'd been going through back into the box. He walked over to the box in the corner, one of the last boxes he might have looked in.

He kneeled down next to it, and Riku leaned against the wall to observe as Sora rummaged through the box. A few moments later, Sora made a small noise of surprise and pulled a smaller box out of the original box. Sora opened it and a gleaming silver necklace stared back at him. Wide eyes and mouth agape, Sora asked Riku a question forgetting that Roxas was in the room.

"How did you _do_ that?!" Riku's eyes widened.

"Uh, Sora… Roxas… He's looking at you…"

"What are you going on about, Sora?" The blond asked from across the room.

"I just- I um- I was" Riku decided to speak up so Sora could have an excuse.

"You're wondering how your necklace got so tangled."

"I was just, so confused on how, my necklace got so tangled?" Sora laughed nervously as Roxas stared him down.

After a few moments, Roxas looked away.

"Whatever, weirdo."

"Sorry to bother you Roxas. I'll be going back up to my room now, then…" Sora cast a look to Riku before he made his way back upstairs, looking back to make sure Riku was following.

He was. Sora smiled smugly as he made his way back into his room. Or…into Riku's room. Their room? Oh, it's just a room, it doesn't even matter!

"Okay, you _really_ have to tell me now. How did you do that? You knew where my necklace was! It was crazy…" Riku scratched his head and sat on the floor cross legged. Sora closed the door.

"I'm not really sure to be honest. I just kind of closed my eyes and relaxed, and then there was this sudden burst of red, and when I opened my eyes, the box in the corner took the place of the color. Does that… make sense?" Riku asked, somewhat confused by himself.

"I think so! Riku, that's super cool! We'll never have to worry about losing the keys… or the TV remote! Awww, sweet!" Sora let out a beautiful chime of a laugh that resounded throughout the entire room. Riku smiled at the brunet.

Suddenly, it was as if a wave of drowsiness hit Sora. He smiled sloppily at Riku and yawned.

"So, whatchu wanna do next..?" The brunet asked, determined to stay awake.

"I don't know, you seem pretty tired… Maybe it'd be best if you went to sleep." Sora pouted at Riku, but otherwise made no other sign of disagreement.

"Alright…I've just gotta get ready for bed then. Brush my teeth and wash my face…" Sora stood up lazily and trudged over to the bathroom that was down the hall. Riku glanced at the necklace that Sora had left on the ground next to his temporary bed.

It was well taken care of, not a single scratch upon its silvery coat. Riku found himself really drawn to the necklace. It was almost as if it caught him in a trance. He thought that it fit Sora perfectly.

Riku managed t snap himself out of his reverie when Sora walked in.

"I really like your necklace, Sora." Sora turned his attention to Riku, seeming to forget that he was there in his tired state.

"Oh, me too. My grandma gave it to me." He yawned into his hand and plopped down on his blankets, studying the necklace. "She said that it's charmed to protect the wearer. I'm not so sure though. I mean, it's not stopping these nightmares I've been having."

"Well, it did protect you from the one who caused them, right?" Riku inquired.

"Yeah, I guess you're right!" The brunet paused for a second, and then looked at Riku. "Wait, you actually believe me..?" He seemed actually astonished that Riku believed in what he said.

"Of course I do, Sora." Riku replied, not skipping a beat.

"Why do you believe me? Even my own family tells me that it's all in my head…"

"…I believe you because I trust you. Now you should really get some sleep." Riku decided that now was not the best time to tell Sora about why he really believed in the demon. Not that he didn't trust Sora, because he did.

"Thanks Riku. It means a lot to hear that." He smiled brightly at the ghost, and then clipped the necklace around his neck. Riku stood from his spot next to Sora and moved toward the window sill. Sora frowned, and then spoke to the other, "Hey Riku?"

"Yes, Sora?"

"Don't you need to get sleep?" Riku sighed before he answered.

"Nah. I don't really burn energy, so I don't really need to store any up."

"Oh. Well, if that's the case…" Riku waited for the brunet to finish his sentence, "Would you mind terribly if…"

"If what, Sora?" There was inaudible talking from the brunet.

"You'll have to speak up, Sora." The brunet sighed and looked to the ground sheepishly.

"Well, you know, this necklace doesn't protect me from the nightmares…and I really hate them. Would you mind, um, protecting me from them..?" Sora rushed the last sentence out, and then buried his slightly red face in his hands. Riku merely smiled at him.

"Okay, Sora. I'll do my best." Riku walked over to Sora and sat beside him, leaning against the wall behind them. Sora smiled gratefully over to him before yawning again and settling under the blankets. His head rested against the pillow, and he turned on his side so that he was facing Riku.

"Thanks, Riku…" The words were muttered, and not much later the brunet had drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Riku smiled at him as he watched the boy. Hesitantly, he raised his hand to ruffle through the messy spikes, as he'd seen Leon do many times before. He was surprised when the spikes moved as if he'd actually touched them. His hand rested on the crown of Sora's head, and Riku swore he felt something when the brunet leaned into his transparent hand.

Something like the beat of a heart.

But you have to be living to have a heartbeat, so Riku brushed it off without a second thought.

Riku stayed up all night, making sure that Sora didn't have any nightmares.

Surprisingly, the brunet didn't so much as twitch. The only sign of movement that was identifiable was the small smile that had become apparent on his face. There was one present upon Riku's face, too.

When Riku was sure the boy was safe from the darkest parts of his unconscious mind, he allowed himself to look out the window. Of course, he remained by Sora's side, but he looked out to the sky.

Riku was only slightly surprised when he saw that the night sky had turned into dawn. The stars were beginning to disappear, and the dark blue was starting to turn into a light pink as the sun allowed a few of its rays to peak over the treetops. Riku smiled a soft smile.

He was really happy that it was Sora's family that moved into his house. If it had been anyone else, he might have haunted them to the ends of the world. Riku figured that he would like this family a lot, and he thought that maybe he'd let them have his house.

Maybe.

Riku's thoughts soon went from happy to alarming.

If Sora had seen the dark demon that he had… He might be in danger. Riku looked down to the slumbering brunet next to him, who was still smiling as if nothing was the matter.

The demon had gotten Riku, but Sora had somehow gotten away. That being said… The demon might come back to reclaim him. Riku frowned. No, he wouldn't let that happen. He'd protect Sora with all he had.

Some light that peaked in from the window reflected on Sora's necklace and caught in Riku's eyes.

A sudden epiphany dawned upon Riku. It's likely that the necklace was what allowed Sora to escape safely. As long as he had it on, nothing would be able to touch him. That calmed Riku's wild mind, and brought the small smile back onto Riku's face.

By the time it was eight in the morning, Sora was still sleeping, and Riku was still thinking. Thinking is all you can really do when you're a ghost. However, Riku's train of thought came to an abrupt stop as he felt another presence enter the house. Slowly, he rose from his spot next to Sora and he walked down the steps, skipping the third from the top, just in case. He peered down the stairs to get a look at the front door. It was locked, which was good. He heard a slight shuffling of papers from the kitchen and decided to investigate.

To his relief, he only saw Leon. It's likely that he'd returned from a night of work.

Leon sighed and put the papers down.

"Alright, time for bed." The brunet walked upstairs and Riku followed him up. To his surprise, Leon skipped the third step from the top, too. He was a very sharp man, Riku would give him that. He peeked into the room that Sora was sleeping in, and Riku felt ridiculous for feeling protective. Leon smiled and closed the door entirely, and Riku stopped in his tracks. How was he going to get in now? What if Sora had a nightmare?

Riku didn't take notice as Leon checked in another room before walking down to the end of the hall where his parent's room used to be. Riku was too busy worrying about what to do.

A thought struck him, but he was uneasy. He was a ghost, right? Doesn't that mean that he can walk through walls or something? Riku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He gulped audibly, and took a few more breaths before he took a hesitant step forward.

Something in his stomach jumped and he felt weightless for a moment. Riku decided that he didn't like it. Slowly, he opened his eyes and let out the breath he'd been holding. It had worked, at least. Riku would just prefer to never do that again.

He took a moment to catch his breath that he didn't even need, but it was a habit. He reclaimed his spot next to the slumbering brunet, and once he'd settled in, he was shocked when Sora unconsciously moved closer to Riku. It was almost like a person moving closer to another for their heat. That didn't make sense in this situation, though. Riku emitted a cold temperature rather than a warm one. Regardless, Riku smiled fondly and placed his head on Sora's head, scratching lightly.

It wasn't long before Sora's nose started twitching. Riku thought this could mean one of two things. It's either that Sora was going to wake up, or that he was going to be in a nightmare. Riku watched with anticipation, turning him body to face Sora. His nose was twitching more frequently, and Riku's eyebrows furrowed. Should he wake Sora up?

At that moment, Sora took a deep breath in, and sneezed.

Riku's eyes widened and his expression turned to an unamused one.

Sora sat up and wiped his nose. He saw Riku and then laughed at his expression.

"Good morning Riku." Sora rose out of bed and stretched his arms over the top of his head, letting out a relaxed sigh.

"Good morning, sleepy head. How did you sleep?" Riku inquired curiously. Sora looked over to him and beamed brightly.

"Really well!" The brunet's stomach growled and the two boys looked down at it. Sora blushed and rolled around on the floor before standing up and walking out of his room.

"Where are you going?" Riku asked, while following him.

"I'm hungry!" Was all the reply he got as they walked downstairs. Sora jumped when one of the boards creaked after he stepped on it. "Oh man, I'll never get used to that…" He laughed nervously. "I hope I didn't wake anyone up. Especially Leon. He doesn't get much sleep because of his work schedule." Riku said nothing and continued walking next to the brunet as they searched for something to eat in the kitchen.

Sora found some cereal in one of the cupboards and decided that it would be easier to eat it out of the bag rather than to try and find a bowl in one of the boxes. So, he put the box of cereal on the table and went to the sink to wash his hands. He dried them well when he was done with a towel that laid on the countertop. He smiled and rushed over to the cereal, opening it and eating to his heart's content.

Sora looked around a few times, making sure that no one was around before he spoke to Riku.

"So, like, you don't have to eat food, do you? Since you're a ghost?" Riku looked over at the boy from his spot on the wall he was leaning against.

"No, I don't have to eat anything, but I do kind of miss feeling full. When I'm like this, I don't really feel anything. Not empty, but not full. Sometimes I really miss the taste of certain foods." Riku spoke casually as he watched Sora eat.

"Oh, well, that's kinda cool, it's like you're invincible! Invincible Riku. Sounds like a band!" Sora laughed at himself, and Riku let out a breathy sort of chuckle. "Or maybe a super hero…" Sora's eyes lit up at the thought. "Hey, if you're a super hero, you have to make me your side kick, okay? Oh that's so cooool!" Sora practically jumped out of his chair and skipped back to the cupboard to put the cereal back in its correct space. He turned to Riku and told him that he was going to try moving some of his stuff from downstairs into his room.

Riku followed him into the living room and watched as he tried to grab a box that was a little bit too big for him to hold.

"Sora, I don't know, maybe you should wait for Cloud or Leon to wake up before you try moving stuff. I mean, you could get hurt." Riku told him skeptically, not liking the idea. Sora just waved him off.

"No, I've got it! I'm strong!" Riku sighed but otherwise made no other signs of his disagreement. It's not like he could do too much otherwise in the state he's in.

Sora took the box into his arms and maneuvered around the other boxes that were splayed across the living room. He let out a breath of relief when he safely got out, and looked at the stairs wearily for a moment before trying to tackle them head on. Riku followed him from behind, uneasily.

Sora inched his way up the steps with caution. He wobbled once and Riku gasped, but Sora regained his balance, and they both let out a relieved breath. Carefully, one after another, Sora walked up to the second floor. Riku was always a few steps behind, as if getting ready to catch him if he were to fall, even though he knew it wouldn't work that way. It just made him feel more assured.

"I'm almost there…" Sora had about five steps to go. He was aware of his feet the entire way, and he never took a chance if he felt uncomfortable. The box was getting a little bit heavy in his arms, but he pushed forward. Four steps remained. Sora's feet were feeling a little heavier than before, but he was determined. His tongue peeked out of the side of his mouth as he concentrated. He lifted his left foot to step on the third step from the top, and he suddenly seemed to lose his balance.

"R-Ri…" He started to speak, but fear got the better of him and he choked up. Riku's eyes widened and he rushed forward to try and provide some assistance.

It didn't work.

Or so he thought. Sora was still wobbling as Riku's cold hands pressed themselves against Sora's back. Holding him there absolutely drained the energy that Riku didn't think he needed. It took Sora a moment to realize what was happening, but when he did, he immediately tried to regain his balance.

He did. Riku still kept his hands on Sora's back, as if afraid he'd fall again. The next three steps went by in a blur, but everyone was okay. Riku was okay, Sora was okay. They're upstairs again, and Sora brought the box into his room. Riku followed and flopped inelegantly onto the pile of blankets.

After Sora put the box down, he rushed over to Riku and sat beside him. Sora saw how exhausted Riku was and he immediately felt guilty for not listening to him when he said it wasn't a good idea.

"I'm really sorry, Riku…I should have listened to you…" His eyes looked guiltily at Riku, and Riku looked back at him. He didn't like it when Sora was sad.

"It's- it's okay. Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll get better soon. Everyone is okay, so it's okay." He smiled a little and added, "And now you know that I know best." Sora looked at him like he was crazy and then sprung up and pointed at Riku.

"You might have been right this time, but that doesn't mean you're _always_ going to be right! You're silly." Riku smiled and yawned at the brunet. He felt absolutely exhausted. His eyelids became heavy and found himself drifting into a slumber he didn't think he could have. He saw Sora looking worriedly at him as he fell into an unconscious state.

"Riku..? Riku!" It was nice to have someone be worried about him again, Riku thought.

While he was asleep, he didn't dream of anything. At least, nothing very important. It had started as most dreams started, in darkness. But halfway through, it turned to light instead. Riku was confused, but he woke up soon, so he didn't look into it.

When he woke, he kept his eyes closed for a moment, trying to use his senses to remember where he was, and if there was anyone in the room. Sure enough, there was someone sitting next to him. He heard the flip of a page of a book, and he realized that the person must have been reading. It only took him a moment longer to recognize the presence as Sora's. He turned his body onto his side, so he could face Sora. His eyes were still closed. He wanted to live in this moment for a while longer. It was almost as if he were living again, but if he opened his eyes, he'd have to face reality.

"Hi Sora." The brunet put his comic book down and spoke to Riku.

"You're hair is really pretty when it has color." Riku froze.

"What?"

"Your hair is a really pretty silver color. It turned that way when I put my necklace on you to protect you from the bad things. I really like it." Riku's eyes snapped open.

"I have color..?" He was astonished. Since the demon had gotten him that day, he'd been colorless. A monochrome shade.

"Yeah... and your eyes…" Sora trailed off then, staring into their deep color. Riku blushed a little, but then stood up. He was feeling a lot more refreshed. Sora stood up, too.

"I want you to have the necklace back as soon as possible… but I'm curious to see what it has done to me." Sora nodded at him.

"Me too! I don't think anyone else can see you, though. Cloud walked in earlier to tell me it was time for lunch, but he didn't say anything about you laying there." Riku nodded, somewhat disappointed, but he didn't let that get him down.

"Let's go." Riku said, and he took off down the steps. The third from the top didn't groan at him as it did for Sora, but that was okay. "Can we try going outside?" Sora's face lit up and he nodded excitedly.

"I haven't been outside yet!" Sora opened the door and let Riku try to go outside. He was very cautious though. He had tried to go outside before, and it had brought him excruciating pain, so he didn't try again. Riku gulped and took a single step outside. There was no pain, so he took another careful step, and another, and soon he was running and laughing. He fell ungracefully on the grass, and Sora followed him.

"I feel so…free!" Riku exclaimed, turning to look at Sora, who smiled at him. They looked at the sky, and saw that the sun was just starting to set. Riku figured that he'd been sleeping for a long time. He stood up and turned to Sora, who was still lying on the ground. He looked at his hand for a moment, and then held it out to Sora. The brunet observed it for a few seconds and then raised his hand to meet Riku's. He pulled the brunet up, using a bit too much strength, sending the brunet tumbling into him. They laughed together, and Riku spoke to him.

"You're really light. Do you even _eat_ food?" And they laughed some more before exploring the yard. After a long expedition, Riku found that if he got too close to the edge of the yard, that the pain would return in small increments.

It was dark by the time they'd gotten back in the house, and Leon caught him just as he was coming inside.

"Sora! There you are. We were worried about you! You should let us know when you go outside next time, alright?" He went up to Sora and ruffled his hair. He moved into the kitchen, passing through Riku as he went, saying, "Supper is in a few. Why don't you go wash up?" Sora looked confused at the fact that Leon passed through Riku when he himself had touched Riku earlier in the evening. He brushed it off, learning to accept the fact that he was the only one who could really interact with Riku.

"Okay!" Sora replied, as he walked up the steps. Riku followed him into his room, and once they arrived, he took the necklace off and clipped it around Sora's neck.

"It's getting dark outside. I think you should keep this on; even if I am sleeping. You need it more than I do. I have nothing to lose but you." Riku smiled and sat on the floor as Sora thanked him and left to get ready for his meal.

Riku stood and walked over to the window, gazing at the stars that had just recently appeared.

When Sora returned, he looked absolutely exhausted. He grabbed his pajamas from one of his boxes and took them to the bathroom with him. Riku suspected that he was getting ready for bed and waited patiently for him to return.

Many of the days passed that way, with the two of them in their own little world, playing together. When it was time for school to start, Sora begged Cloud to home school him. The blond was skeptical at first, but eventually agreed. Roxas, however, decided to go to the public school. He took the bus to get there. Sora was so glad that he got to be around his ghost friend all the time, and a plus to being homeschooled was that Riku got to learn, too.

Sora did find it a little bit weird that Riku seemed to be aging with him, but he said nothing. He preferred it that way, anyway.

Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. Sora and Riku only grew closer to each other with the time that went by. If someone knew of their friendship, they'd almost call them inseparable, but no one did, so no one could.

October rolled around, and Sora didn't forget about Riku's birthday. He's twelve now, officially considered a teenager. His face had become more defined and he grew a bit in height. Sora was jealous, but Riku told him that he'd grow too.

And grow he did. He turned eleven on December tenth. It was on this day that they made an annual tradition for Sora's birthday.

"Hey, Sora. Wake up you sleepy head!" Riku whined at the sleeping brunet. Sora merely groaned and rolled over in response. Riku let out a sigh of air. An idea came to mind, and he smirked devilishly. That would be his last resort.

"Come on, Sora, it's your birthday! You have to be up at the crack of dawn!" Riku persisted.

"No, I _don't_ , Riku… let me sleep…" The brunet mumbled, trying to get cozy in his bed again. Riku rolled his eyes and flopped onto Sora's stomach, lying across it horizontally. Sora pushed him off quickly. Riku fell to the floor without a sound.

"You. Are. Too. _Cold_." Sora shuffled away from him, but Riku just moved closer.

"Alright, then. You asked for it!" Riku lunged at Sora playfully, allowing his still transparent hands to glide over Sora's slightly exposed stomach. Sora gasped and his eyes shot open. He rolled off the bed and landed with a loud thump. He glared an icy glare at Riku.

"You know that tickling is off limits."

"Yeah, I do." Riku smirked at Sora expectantly. Sora sighed and stood up, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Alright, _fine_ , I'm up!" Sora, regardless of his attitude, had a small, affectionate smile on his face. Riku smiled back at him and together they walked down to the kitchen to get Sora some breakfast. Riku was smiling knowingly the entire way.

Sora gasped when he saw it all. There were streamers and balloons everywhere. Leon was sitting at the table, reading the local paper and drinking his coffee. He must have taken off work today. He glanced at Sora when he walked in the kitchen. He smiled at the young brunet.

"Surprise." He said, and Sora looked at him funnily before Cloud and Roxas walked in, wearing party hats. Roxas put one on Sora and Cloud put one on Leon. They all laughed, and then Leon opened the freezer and grabbed a box from it. He placed it on the table and opened it.

Sora could feel his mouth watering as he looked at the ice cream cake. He ran over to his family and pulled them all into a big group hug. They all returned his affections generously. Everyone was wearing a smile, even Riku, who was leaning against the wall. Sora noticed him and mouthed to him.

 _Get over here._

Riku rolled his eyes, but none the less made his way over. What was he planning to do, hug him and make his family feel like he was hugging air? What an airhead, Riku thought. But surprisingly Sora didn't hug him, he just stood by Riku. Strangely enough, it was enough. Riku felt included, as if he were a part of the family. He smiled at Sora, and hugged the brunet himself. Although Sora didn't accept it, Riku knew he would have under certain circumstances.

"Happy birthday, Sora." Riku spoke to him, and then released his hold. They smiled at each other, then Sora spoke to his family.

"I get first piece, common! Ice cream from breakfast, yeah!" Leon and Cloud looked at each other, as if suddenly regretting their decision of bringing out the cake. Never the less, they cut Sora a piece and watched as he ate it joyously.

"So, Sora. We've made a few plans today… or more so for the week. We had Roxas take off school and Leon take off work." Sora was excited for a moment, but then he remembered that Riku would have to stay home, had he was crestfallen. Cloud continued, "We're flying out to see your grandmother in the Destiny Islands. Everyone has already packed up their things except for you; we wanted it to be a surprise. We're leaving tonight for our flight." Cloud smiled at him, as did Leon and Roxas. Riku, however, was shocked at the news and he wordlessly left the room. Sora saw him go, and wanted to follow him, but he knew that they wouldn't let him go without talking it over.

"Okay, that sounds like fun. When will we be getting back?" Sora inquired.

"We'll be back on Monday." Today is Tuesday. They wouldn't be gone that long.

"Sweet, I'm going to go pack now! Thanks for the cake!" With that, Sora took off up the stairs, determined to find Riku.

It didn't take much searching to find him. Riku was right where Sora thought he would be, on the window, looking to the morning sky. Sora sat on the other side of Riku on the window sill. They were quiet for a long time, watching the sun rise.

"I won't be gone for that long…I'll be back on Monday, Riku. I promise." Riku didn't look at him.

"You can't promise that…" Riku looked longingly out the window. "Unexpected things can happen." Riku was thinking about how he wouldn't be able to protect Sora if something were to happen. What if the demon came back for him…

"Riku, really, I'll be okay. I have my necklace to protect me, remember?" Sora unclipped it from around his neck and instead clasped it around Riku's. Immediately, color bloomed upon the ghost. Riku looked over to Sora, who was smiling at him. Riku gave a small, sad smile in return.

"What are you doing?"

"It's been a long time since I've seen you in color." Riku smiled a pure smile, but his eyes still showed worry. He unclasped the necklace from around his neck and put it back on Sora's.

"You're not allowed to take it off under any circumstances, okay? That would make me feel better." Sora's face lightened up and he lurched at Riku. He wrapped his arms around Riku's neck and laughed. Riku returned the embrace. Sora pulled away and pinched his cheek.

"Try not to miss me too much!" He smiled and suddenly his expression turned a bit more sober. "I know I'll miss you a lot. But I'll be back before you know it, so don't be sad!" Riku smiled at him.

"I'll try my hardest."

"You can sleep in my bed if you want to." Riku laughed at the brunet.

"Oh, thank you. You're so hospitable!" The two boys engaged in casual conversation, which soon turned to comfortable silence. Riku spoke up after a few moments.

"You should probably start packing now, huh?" Sora nodded and stood up. He walked over to his bed and got on his knees to pull a suitcase out from under it. It was black with a dark blue accent.

Riku watched as Sora went through his dressers to look for clothes, and he rolled his eyes when he saw Sora try to sneakily grab a snickers bar from inside one of the drawers.

"I saw that."

"No you didn't." Sora continued packing as if Riku hadn't said anything.

They were thrown into a comfortable silence, appreciating the other's presence. Sora was just about done packing when he consulted Riku.

"Hey, can you help me find something really quick?"

"What is it?"

"It's my notebook. It's black and has my name on it."

"Okay." Thinking back to the day he helped find Sora's necklace on the day they had first met, Riku closed his eyes and relaxed, taking in a breath. He could feel Sora looking at him. He wasn't getting anything, no burst of color signifying where the notebook could be hiding.

"I'm not getting anything, Sora. I'm sorry."

"Well, that's alright! You can still help me look like any other person would." He looked over his shoulder and smiled cheekily at Riku, not letting him out of this one.

The two searched for a while, the notebook being the only thing that Sora needed to put into his suitcase before he left. The brunet decided to go and check downstairs, but Riku stayed up in his room.

His gaze fell on Sora's necklace. He must have taken it off and left it on his bed. Riku walked over to it and held it in his palm; the silver was cold even against _his_ skin.

Someone walked in, and Riku expected it to be Sora. However, it was Leon. He peeked around the corner, looking for Sora. When he didn't see the young brunet, but instead his suitcase, Leon walked to it, zipped it up, and took it downstairs, closing the door behind him. He heard his voice muffled from behind the door.

"Alright everyone, we have to fly. We'll miss our flight if we aren't fast." By the sounds of it, Leon was at the bottom of the steps now. Riku panicked. Sora didn't have his necklace yet.

"Wait, Leon! I have to get something from my room!"

"No time, Sora. We still have to get gas in the car."

"I _need_ my necklace, Leon!"

"You can live without it." Riku heard shuffling noises from below, and then Sora's agitated voice.

"H-hey! Put me down, Leon!"

"No can do. We're leaving now, sorry." Riku heard the front door close and his eyes widened. He rushed over to the window to watch them leave. Leon gave the suitcase to Cloud, and he put it in the trunk, and then closed it securely. Riku saw Sora looking at him sorrowfully from the car.

All they could do was stare as the car pulled out of the driveway and left for the airport. Once the car was out of sight, Riku started pacing angrily, the necklace clutched tightly in his hand. He started venting to himself.

"I could have walked through the door. What kind of friend am I?! If I cared enough I would have gotten this to him in any way I could, but here it is, in my hand, not his!" Riku looked out the window again, a worried expression on his face.

Sora was flying far away from him, without his protective necklace. He was completely vulnerable.

There was no way Riku could make it until Tuesday knowing Sora was out there, defenseless.

(-X-)

 **FFS. I KNOW. I KNOW I AM TRASH. LIKE SERIOUSLY, ME. GET IT TOGETHER. FINISH A STORY BEFORE YOU START ANOTHER. FFS. (tbh i think this one can change that trend. im loving this one so far.)**

 **anyway here you go c:**

 **love always,**

 **SilverWingDragon**


	2. The Nightmare

The drive to the airport was a long one. Sora was very antsy, and he had a hard time focusing on anything at all. He was drowning in his thoughts.

Was Riku upset with him?

 _Of course Riku is upset with me._

Was Riku going to yell at him?

 _Of course Riku is going to yell at me._

Was Riku worried about him?

 _Of course Riku is worried about me._

Sora was worried about Riku, too. What if that evil demon came back to get Riku? Sora shivered and looked out the window of the car. Evergreens were rushing by in a blur, and it made Sora feel dizzy and slightly nauseous. He just wanted to be home, home with Riku. He wanted to make sure that they would both be safe. Sora was the only one who could see Riku, anyway, so therefore, he was the only one who could keep Riku safe.

A thought dawned upon Sora, that Riku had the necklace. It put his mind at ease. The necklace would protect him. However, Sora knew that Riku wanted nothing more than for _Sora_ to wear the protective charm. He sighed in agitation. Maybe when he goes to his grandma Namine, he can ask for another one? He didn't want to be greedy, but he wanted Riku to be happy, too. Especially now, when Sora doesn't even have the necklace! Sora sighed again, and this time it caught the attention of Cloud.

"What are you sighing about back there, you knucklehead?" Cloud spoke from the passenger seat.

"Leon wouldn't let me get my necklace and I feel really…um… vulnerable without it…" The brunet sighed again, and the two adults chuckled at the young boy.

"It's just a necklace, Sora. We'll be back in a week. You can go that long without it can't you?" Sora said nothing in return, and his parents caught themselves into pleasant conversation. Honestly, Sora didn't know if he could go a week without the necklace, or without Riku. Would his nightmares return? The brunet shivered at the thought and hoped not.

Sora looked over at Roxas, who was seated next to him. The blonde had headphones in, presumably listening to music, as his fingers danced eloquently upon the screen. Sora attempted to glance at his brother's phone to see who he was texting, but he was caught in the act and a warning glare was sent his way.

Sora didn't risk another peek in fear of being caught a second time. He loved his brother, but he could be a scary one. Roxas was neither a lover nor a hater, but instead a mixture of the two. Sora never wanted to be on his bad side. He shivered at the mere thought of it.

His parents had each other, and Roxas had the mysterious receiver of his messages. Sora, however, had no one. He was alone, no one to talk to, no one to poke fun with. The brunet found himself craving Riku's company more than ever. The brunet sighed and looked to the sky. It was past midday, and the sun had just started to set in the sky.

Sora watched the world outside his window for an unknown amount of time. All he knew is that he was observing its beauty until they finally arrived at the Twilight Town Air Port. Sora and his family (plus Riku) lived in a quaint little town called Radiant Garden. Don't be fooled, it's not one large garden or anything. It is indeed a town with a living population.

A famous town myth was how Radiant Garden got its name - from a single woman who grew a garden all on her own. The garden was no ordinary garden, though. Everything the woman planted in that garden shriveled up and died. The woman grew discouraged and had given up gardening for a long, long time.

One day, the woman had to go into town for some supplies. On her way home, she found her gaze fixated on the local flower shop, and after much debate, she went inside. A smile was upon her face as she observed all of the plants. One in particular caught her eye, though. The woman walked to it and read its identification tag. The plant had in fact been a bush, one called a 'Bleeding Heart". On the small limbs of the bush were tiny little red hearts that were split open from the bottom, with another limb growing out, giving the heart the appearance of being broken and bleeding. She smiled at it, but did not buy it.

She was about to leave the shop, but a man with silver hair and yellow eyes stopped her.

"Why don't you buy it?" He asked the woman.

"It will die." She replied curtly as she walked out of the store. The man picked up the same plant and bought it. Quickly exiting the store, he caught up with the woman.

"Let me help." He offered with a small smile. The two walked to the woman's home engaged in hesitant conversation, casually getting to know each other on a closer scale. The man helped the woman put her supplies away, and then she led him to the place where her garden would be, if the things she planted were to grow.

The two dug a new hole in the ground and placed the bush in it gingerly. They began covering it with soil, and their hands came in contact close to the plant. They looked into the other's eyes, the woman smiled softly, and the man returned it kindly.

A burst of light interrupted them. It had been a work of magic, or true love, as some had said. For every single plant that would have been in that garden rose from the ground and grew into its full beauty. It was vibrant, colors blooming left and right of the two. Their eyes met, and some say that was the start of the life as fresh and beautiful as the garden.

What would have been, at least.

The man turned bitter, and the couple grew distant from each other. As their relationship withered away, so did their beautiful garden.

The day he left her was the day the garden turned to ashes.

The day the garden turned to ashes was the day she left the earth.

They say that the garden was a talisman for the town, and represented the creation of the town.

Thus Radiant Garden was born, from a true love turned to dust.

There would always be the occasional couple who searched for the garden, but you can't find true love, as the myth goes.

True love finds you.

"Alright, we have about ten minutes to get checked in. In other words, we've got to _go._ " Leon's voice snapped him out of his reverie. He unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his suitcase, extending the handle so he could pull it around with more ease. Everyone else was already out of the car, Sora noticed as a blush faintly covered his cheeks.

Leon locked the car and led the way to their station. He walked with a quick pace, obviously worried about missing the flight. Cloud walked next to him with an equally quick step, while Sora and Roxas held up the rear end. They weren't moving quite as fast, but they still managed to keep up with the two older men.

A quiet chime of a muffled laugh came from the left of Sora. He looked to see Roxas covering a smile with his hand. There was a light blush that was spread across his face, and Sora was suddenly curious.

"What? What is it?" The brunet asked his brother.

"Oh, it's nothing. My friend, he's just being…" Roxas trailed off and resumed texting his friend. Sora smiled. 'Friend'. The brunet might have just turned eleven that day, but he wasn't quite as naïve as everyone pegged him to be.

Right.

'Friend'.

Not with _that_ blush.

Sora chuckled at his thoughts and gave his suitcase to Leon when he asked for it. They checked in their luggage, the process was quick and simple. After that, they made their way past the metal detector gates, and by the time they had all reached their flight station, they were getting ready to board.

Leon released a content sigh.

"We made it guys."

Before they knew it, they had boarded the plane and found themselves seats to nestle into for the duration of the flight. As the plane's engine started up, a lady could be heard, her voice resounding throughout the small room.

"How is everyone tonight?" There were small mutters, and she took that as a signal to continue, "Sweet. The flight number 306 is deporting now, with a destination of Oblivia City. It'll be about a three hour flight, so go ahead and get comfy in those chairs. Our staff will be around serving food and drinks as soon as we are safely in the air. Now, speaking of safety, each and every one of you are required to have your seatbelts buckled until we give the okay to take it off. We highly suggest you keep it on at all times, however. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not refrain from asking any of the staff here. Thank you, and have a great flight!" She smiled and walked into a back room.

The plane started moving not much longer after that, doing test laps on the plane track. It seemed like it took forever, but after a few minutes, the plane finally started gaining speed on the strip. Sora, in the window seat, watched the world flash by him in a blur. The surrounding trees were just smears of green as they took off. The plane tilted its nose upward, and after a few moments, they had gained air. Sora had a small smile on his face; the acceleration was always his favorite part.

The plane shook a little, and quite frankly, it did scare Sora a bit. The ride had smoothed out once they were higher in the sky, and Sora felt himself relax into his chair. His eyelids grew heavy, and he allowed them to flutter to a close. His head fell to the side to rest on Leon's shoulder. The older brunet, in turn, attempted to smooth out the spikes, but watched dejectedly as his hair just sprung up again. Leon smiled as the boy continued to sleep. He just hoped that the nightmares would leave him be as he resumed reading the local paper from back home. He hadn't gotten a chance to read it yet, but now was his chance.

Cloud looked over and smiled at the sight before him. He looked to his other side and saw Roxas sulking in his seat. His earphones weren't even in. Deciding to intervene, Cloud asked the blond a question.

"What's got you in such a foul mood?" The eldest of the two blonds poked the younger in the cheek. In return, Roxas shot an icy blue glare at his father as he muttered three simple words.

"No internet connection." He went back to sulking before Cloud spoke up again.

"What, can't talk to your sweetheart?" He was only poking fun at him, but his interest was spiked when he saw a light blush coat they younger's usually pale cheeks. Cloud raised an eyebrow and smirked. "I'm not wrong, am I?" The eldest spoke while the younger just sunk further into his plane seat. Cloud chuckled at the boy but otherwise let him be.

The flight had gone rather smoothly during the first few hours of the ride. There was about thirty minutes left when things started turning a bit problematic.

Sora started tossing and turning in his seat. Leon looked over to him worriedly, nudging Cloud with his shoulder.

"Is he..?"

"…having a nightmare." Leon gently shook the boy as he writhed in his seat. He did not awaken. Fear settled into the hearts and minds of his family. Roxas watched with worried eyes, his phone long forgotten. Cloud was calling the brunet's name in attempt to rouse him from his sleep, and Leon was physically shaking the boy.

"Sora…Sora!" The young brunet still had not awoken from the nightmare that had trapped him. Tears fell from his eyes and he struggled with newfound energy. Leon made eye contact with Cloud as Roxas handed a plastic cup full of water to the other blonde. The two adults seemed confused for a moment before they understood.

Leon took the cup from Cloud and immediately threw the water specifically so it would collide with Sora's face. No one could honestly say that they expected the water to wake him up, as it was a ridiculous feat. They tried anyway.

To their utmost surprise, when the ice water made contact with Sora's skin, sky blue eyes snapped open and the boy sputtered, wiping his sleeve on his wet face. He cried and clung to Leon, who held him tightly. Cloud, Leon, and Roxas all let out relieved sighs as the trembling brunet wept. Around them, everything was normal. People were oblivious to the act that the family had just witnessed, too caught up in their own doings.

The rest of the flight was still. Quiet. Not even Sora made a sound as he shook in the arms of his father, who rubbed his back reassuringly.

"Don't fall asleep just yet, Sora." The younger brunet said nothing. He merely nodded in response, getting lost in his own thoughts. Being caught in his daydreams and reveries of being at home, with Riku, where he was safe. Where his nightmares and the darkness couldn't touch him.

After what seemed to be an endless amount of time, it was finally time to land the plane. The same flight attendant from the beginning of the flight started talking again, reminding the passengers to properly fasten their seatbelts as they descended from the sky.

Once they had landed, they had to wait for all of the people ahead of them to get off of the plane before they could make a move to. As they stood and waited, Leon placed his hand gently on the crown of Sora's head. The boy made no indication that he even knew it was there. He was just staring at the ground with his hand held in Cloud's. Leon felt his heart break slightly on the inside, but did not allow it to show outwardly. He felt so powerless to help Sora escape from the horrible nightmares that he suffered from. As a father, Leon felt the need to protect his family from everything that posed as a threat.

But he just couldn't seem to confront what wasn't _there_. What wasn't _real_.

When most of the other passengers had finally gotten off the plane, Leon led his family out, too. Together, they all walked silently to the baggage claim. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts as they walked across the Oblivia Airport. In fact, they were all so caught up in their minds, that they almost missed the baggage claim.

Luckily, Roxas's phone had slipped out of his pocket just as the family was about to pass the spot. If it had been any other sort of situation, Leon would have laughed a bit. However, Leon couldn't find it in him to let out even the quietest of noises. He just looked down at Sora, who was rubbing his eyes.

Only then did Leon let out a sigh. It was Sora's birthday. Sulking around certainly wasn't going to make it a happy one. So, regardless of his inner turmoil, he reached out and ruffled messy spikes that sat upon Sora's head.

The young brunet looked at him with an agitated look, but it soon turned to a happy one when he spotted their suitcases being moved on a conveyer belt. He let go of Leon's hand and dashed off to retrieve it, leaving his family laughing at his antics.

"Wait, Sora! Don't just run off like that! Someone could just pick you up and take you away!" Sora just laughed at him and grabbed their suitcases. His family caught up to him shortly, and Cloud gave him a disproving look. Sora just beamed an innocent smile in return. His eyes focused onto something behind the eldest blonde before he took off in that direction.

"Grandma Namine!" The brunet exclaimed, rushing into her arms. She smiled beautifully, showing affection in her sapphire eyes. She looked quite young, as she always did, regardless of being nearly fifty years old. Her blonde, nearly white, hair reached just passed her shoulders. Namine hugged the young boy tightly.

"Why, hello Sora! It's been too long, has it not?" She smiled at her son from over Sora's shoulder, who returned her smile gratefully. Namine then averted her eyes to Leon, smiling just as brightly to him. Roxas caught her eye, and she beamed brightly as him, too. They all approached the two who were trapped in a warm embrace, and Namine had plenty of hugs to go around.

Everyone was engaged in pleasant conversation. No words were forced, as there was a welcoming aura that surrounded the family. They made their way out of the airport and into Namine's car. She was particularly close to Sora, but she didn't mean to pick favorites. There was just something about the boy that spiked Namine's interest. Not to mention, he's just the sweetest little ball of energy.

So, it was only natural that Namine would notice that something was off about Sora's demeanor. Although they haven't seen each other in _years,_ she could just tell that something was amiss.

"So, Sora, what's new in your mystical little life?" Namine asked casually from the driver's seat. He looked at her, and answered shortly.

"I can tell you later."

"Oh..?" Was her reply, and Cloud could sense her confusion. He quietly clarifies for her.

"His nightmares came back. He had one on the plane trip here today, and he's probably exhausted."

"Oh…Oh." She cast a worried look at the brunet, and when he caught her gaze, she smiled albeit a bit sadly. She fixed her eyes on the road and continued driving, trying to keep her mind clear as she did. The rest of the drive was mostly silent. Namine remained driving. Roxas was on his phone and had his ear buds in. Cloud sat in the passenger seat, alongside his mother. Leon sat between Sora and Roxas, but his attention was on the young brunet who was staring out the window next to him.

There was a tense air around them all, but it was broken when Namine cheerily addressed her home.

"We're here, guys!" She pulled into her long driveway, and Sora gasped. He had never seen Namine's home before. It was a huge, white mansion. The yard was enormous, and it had so many different types of vibrant flowers. Sora had found he was speechless.

When Namine parked the car near the house, Sora was the first to unbuckle his seatbelt and rush out of the car.

"This is amaaazing!" He said mirthfully, running around from one place to another. Leon chuckled at his antics, and Cloud just muttered under his breath for him to wait until he saw the inside. Regardless of how quietly the blonde had thought he had spoken, Sora still heard his remark.

"Ooooh, Namine, I wanna go inside!" He bound around the woman excitedly, not unlike a puppy asking to play. She smiled at him and gave the keys to Cloud, who led the young boy inside.

"I can't wait!" The brunet said, urging Cloud to walk faster with his own pace. Meanwhile, the others were stuck with the task of unloading their luggage and bringing it inside.

Cloud stuck the key into the doorknob and turned it. Slowly, as if to taunt Sora, he pushed the door open, a smirk on his face.

"Hurry up!" Sora whined, and Cloud laughed at him, but did so nonetheless. He opened the door completely, and Sora just gawked at the house.

It was even bigger on the inside than it was on the outside, and so much prettier. A black cat with strikingly blue eyes ran down the steps, and growled threateningly as Cloud stepped into the house. The blonde just rolled his eyes.

"Aw, Xi, don't be like that. You know me, you fur face." The cat hissed, but the noise died when Sora walked into the house.

"Xi?" Sora asked curiously to Cloud.

"It's short for Xion."

"Shion?" The brunet asked, testing the name.

"Close, but you are saying it more loosely. It's more like… Che-on."

"Xion…" The brunet said, approaching the weary cat. The brunet liked that name. He held out his hand for the cat, and she looked at it critically.

"You need to be careful, Sora. That cat hates everything, it'll certainly try to bite you or-" The blonde looked in fascination at his son, who was petting the cat with ease. Xion was purring happily. He gawked at the two before smiling at them.

"Well, alright then. You seem set. I'll be right back; I'm just going to help the others with our stuff." Cloud left, closing the door behind him.

Sora laughed at he played with Xion. She did bat at him a few times, but it was done playfully. Xion didn't use her claws at all, and for some reason, Sora was proud that he made friends with this cat.

Suddenly, the brunet poked Xion before running off into another room, announcing gleefully,

"You're it!"

If Sora were being completely honest, he would have said that he didn't expect the cat to actually play along. However, much to his surprise, the cat chased after him in hot pursuit. It wasn't much of a challenge for her to catch Sora, since he was completely unfamiliar with the house. He continued running into things, like tables and chairs.

Their match continued to go on even when the rest of Sora's family walked into the house. It was then that Sora decided to take their little game upstairs, too. The brunet took two, sometimes three steps at a time as he tried to shake Xion from his trail. He ran down the hallway, which was a dead end. He panicked, taking the game seriously, and ran into the room closest to him. He wasn't thinking at the time, or he would have realized that he'd just be cornering himself.

He opened the door to the room, and once he saw the insides of it, he just stood there, gaping at it. It seemed like it could be one of the largest rooms in the entire house, as well as one of the most… unsettling.

The entire room was bathed in an eerie green light. The wall opposite of the door seemed to be one large window, but it was covered with a single sheet of thick fabric. When Sora turned to the left, he saw a large bookcase, completely filled with books. Some seemed more dusty that others, and there were a few that were dust-free. On the right wall, there seemed to be one large drawing. It looked similar to a tree of some sort. Looking closely, Sora noticed that there was a door on that wall, too. He could have easily missed it.

Sora let out a surprised shriek when Xion poked her nose against Sora's leg. He sighed in relief when he realized that it was, in fact, only Xion. She didn't run away though, but instead walked into the room. She seemed highly familiar with the area as she walked into the center of the room mindlessly. She jumped onto the table that was placed there. Sora followed her.

"What is this place?" He asked more to himself than to anyone else. Xion let out a reassuring meow, settling into a comfortable position on the table. Sora ran his fingers over it, appreciating the smooth wood. He noticed that there were two chairs on either side of the table.

Dismissing the object altogether, Sora made his way to the drawing on the right wall. Upon closer observation, the brunet realized that it was indeed a tree. However, not exactly the type of tree he had thought. It was a family tree.

Sora excitedly looked at all of the names that were present on the wide expanse of the wall, searching mostly for his name. Before he could find it, however, he heard a voice from behind him.

"So, I hear that your nightmares are back." The voice was soothing, like a bell. Sora turned to face his grandmother, his face showing his defeated expression.

"Yeah." He replied. She walked to the table and sat down in one of the chairs. She gestured for him to take a seat as well. Sora sighed, but listened none the less.

"Let's talk about this, Sora." She said.

"Okay." Was all he replied. It was quiet for a few long moments. Xion still sat at her place on the table, watching the two curiously. She sensed Sora's discomfort and moved towards him. She nudged his hand supportively. Sora smiled at her, and pet her gratefully before he spoke up again.

"I don't know what happened. Everything was going alright… I mean, I hadn't had a nightmare in nearly a year. Then I fell asleep on the plane and I had one right away."

"Can you tell me what they were about, Sora?" Azure eyes widened slightly in fear, but he nodded his head, albeit hesitantly.

"It was mostly the same as usual… except…"

"Yes?"

"…Except the man with yellow eyes told me something different."

"Man with the yellow eyes?" Sora nodded his head.

"He's like…the essence of darkness. There, but not there. You know..?" He trailed off and Namine allowed him to be lost in his own thoughts for a few moments. He continued after a while.

"He told me that… he might not have gotten me that night a year ago… but now that I was defenseless, he'd be back…" Sora's eyes immediately began tearing up.

"What do you mean, defenseless? Do you feel defenseless?"

"And he said that if I didn't see him soon…" His tears fell steadily, and Xion nudged her head against his chest in an attempt to comfort the brunet.

"Sora. What do you mean, defenseless?"

"…That he'd go for Riku instead…" After he spoke those words, Sora's heart shattered, and the boy broke down into a complete sob.


	3. The Summoning

She gave him a few minutes to calm down, but she did not leave the room. Many frantic questions flooded into her head, but she maintained her self control.

After Sora's breakdown seemed to an end, she spoke once again.

"Sora, I want you to take a deep breath and stay calm, okay? I want to help you." The brunet nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"Okay." Sora replied, and looked into his grandmother's eyes. Within them swam deep emotions. Determination. Anger. Worry. Sadness.

"Why would you feel defenseless, Sora?" The brunet stayed quiet for a few moments again.

"I'm not wearing my necklace. I-I forgot it at home… and-" Sora felt a familiar prickling sensation behind his eyes, but he tried to remain calm.

"…And?" Namine insisted, pushing for a full answer.

"…And Riku's not here right now…"

"Who is Riku, Sora?" Namine asked, genuinely curious. She studied her grandson's face closely.

"Riku is my best friend…" Sora answered honestly.

"Why would the man with yellow eyes go after Riku?"

"Because he is the one who is always protecting me from him."

"Riku can't always be with you though."

"Yes he can…" Namine looked at him confusedly. Sora noticed and elaborated.

"My room is Riku's room. His parents abandoned him, and he can't leave our house because it was his own house." Namine gasped loudly at his clarification.

"Sora, hold on… do you mean that - that Riku is a ghost..?" Sora looked her in the eyes and nodded his head shyly. He quickly spoke up.

"He's a nice ghost though! Don't think he's not, because I did and his feelings got really hurt…"

"Can you see Riku, Sora?"

"Yep! And when I have my necklace on I can touch him, and he can touch me. When he has the necklace on, he goes from black and white into color. He has really pretty eyes you know. Oh! Also, when he wears the necklace, he can touch other things, and even go outside for a while! No one else can see him but me though…" Namine didn't miss how Sora's attitude had changed as they had talked about Riku. Sora really hadn't been kidding when he said that the two of them were best friends. She smiled slightly.

"Does Riku help keep away your nightmares?" The blonde asked the brunet, who nodded immediately upon hearing the question.

"Yeah, he's like a guard dog!" Sora laughed out loud, imagining Riku as a German Sheppard with a silverish fur coat. Namine smiled at the boy who was in such an ecstatic state.

"Well, Sora, what would you say if I said that I could try to bring Riku here?" The boy's eyes lit up immediately, but soon turned uncertain.

"Well, that'd be so cool! But Riku gets hurt if he goes too far from the house…" Sora looked at Xion sadly, as if he was longing for something. She nudged him again, and he started petting her fluffy black fur.

"Well, I think I could work around that, Sora. What do you say?" His eyes lit up again, and he smiled gratefully.

"Can you really do that?!" He asked excitedly, and Namine nodded her head.

"Only with your help, though. Could you do that for me?"

"Anything!"

"Alright then. We'll try summoning him later tonight, okay? Before we go to bed. It's still a bit too early to try a summoning." She smiled at the brunet who seemed to have found a new sort of energy. He jumped out of his chair and started running around the room. Xion followed him, meowing in what seemed to be a happy manor. Sora was dancing around, speaking in gibberish. Namine just smiled and closed her eyes as she let the brunet's beautiful chime of a laugh fill her ears.

It wasn't long before Sora and Xion took their little game outside of the room. She could hear Sora's loud footsteps on the staircase, signaling that they had moved downstairs. Even from another floor higher, Namine could still hear Sora's bubbly laugh. She would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised. This ghost, Riku, as Sora has called him, must really have a major affect on the brunet's life.

After all, it seemed that whatever nightmare he had, the one with a man with yellow eyes, seemed to have traumatized him horribly. However… Just a casual conversation with Riku as the topic had him back to his own self. It was astounding, honestly.

With a huff, Namine dropped the subject and rose from her place at the table. With a brisk pace, she made her way to the left side of the room, so she could face the bookshelf and locate one of the summoning books that her family has had for ages.

Her oceanic eyes scanned the spines of the books although there was no writing upon them. Even so, she knew the exact book she had to locate. After all, the topic was the one her family had specialized in for ages.

When she spotted the book, a soft smile was apparent on her face, but it just barely reached her eyes. Namine reached out a pale, fragile hand as she went to grab the faded brown book.

It was heavy and reassuring in her hands. The skin of the book was rough yet tender. Old but wise.

Xion appeared at her feet and nudged at them encouragingly. Namine turned her smile to the feline, amazed at how the cat seemed to be everywhere at once. Not five minutes ago, she'd been running around with Sora downstairs.

The albino blonde moved past Xion, laughing lightly at her. Namine returned to the table, moving past her. In turn, Xion let out a loud yowl, content yet offended at the lack of attention. The cat ran out of the room in a sprint, likely to get affection from Sora.

Gingerly, Namine placed the old, fading book on the top of the table. She pulled out a chair and sat down, sighing a bit. She took a deep breath and raised her hands so they were hovering over the book cover. She muttered something under her breath and started to move her hands in fluid, graceful motions. As she did so, the book suddenly started to radiate a brilliant golden light.

With a final burst of that light, the book opened itself and the pages began to flip automatically. Namine's eyes scanned every page as they flew by, but she could only get a glimpse of a few words due to the speed of the turning pages.

Eventually, the turning came to a slow stop, and with the last turn of a page, the spell Namine had been looking for was found. She stood up in excitement as her eyes scanned the page. It was a simple enough spell, however, if they cast it incorrectly, it could end with a very sad Sora and a missing Riku.

With a sigh, Namine sat back down in her chair and started to analyze the text down to every last detail. She would just have to be sure that she didn't mess this up. Namine refused to be the reason of Sora's sadness. She only wanted to end it.

Meanwhile, the sad brunet had found fun in bothering his older brother, who was sitting on the couch downstairs, Skyping someone with a profound happiness that simply poured off of him.

"Awww, pleeease Roxas? I just wanna seeee!" Sora whined loudly, trying to get past the hand that Roxas had thrust out at the younger brunet's face.

"No, just go watch T.V. or someth- Sora, _DO NOT_ lick me again!" The blonde took his eyes off of his phone for a short second to glare at his brother, but soon his eyes drifted back to the smart phone.

Sora gave up his attempts to get past the guard of his brother and instead decided to lay down and, in fact, watch some television. When he tried to use the remote to change the channel, nothing happened, so he settled for watching whatever was on already.

It appeared to be some kind of sports show, volleyball to be more specific. Sora's eyes had a hard time following the ball as a tall, ebony headed male tossed it across the court. A much smaller orange haired guy had no trouble spiking the ball over the next, but the opposite team was far too slow to even touch it. A soft smile played across Sora's face as he drifted into a peaceful slumber, one full of volleyballs and quick sets with Riku.

His peaceful dreaming soon took a darker turn, however. Sora was standing and smiling as he talked with his team, when suddenly the scene around him faded into a dark, menacing black and the people that he had been talking to turned to shadows.

Sora turned around and saw himself standing there, with black hair and yellow eyes. He, too, faded to black as Sora inspected his hands, which were a few shades too pale for his comfort. In the darkness, there was nothing, and it was now more than ever that Sora wished to see Riku.

It was both sudden and prolonged when a small swirl of grey appeared and left a small mirror in its wake. Sora rushed over to it, and he gasped in shock.

Staring back at him in the mirror was a monochrome Riku, not himself. He felt himself begin to shake a bit, but not too long after, he lost control of his – or Riku's – body. The darkness around him began to morph and change in a distortion of dissonant color, and Sora wanted nothing more than to close his eyes, but he could not.

When everything had settled, Sora felt ill but somewhat at ease when he realized that he was in his own room. He couldn't see Riku anywhere, though, and still couldn't control his body.

A hauntingly distorted laugh echoed through the air, and suddenly Sora saw the darkness leak through the wall. It could have sworn that he saw it smile, but that only fueled an anger that was borne within him.

"What are _you_ doing here? Get out of here!" Sora was stunned when he felt his lips moving and heard Riku's voice from them. The darkness finally began to take form, and Sora saw the man of his nightmares standing there.

"Why, I would be here for the boy, but I came here," he moved closer to Sora and panic welled up inside of him, "for," a dark smile spread across his features, "you," his pointed finger touched Sora's chest, and his head looked down to see the vile thing, "Riku." The man's smile only seemed to widen even further, if it was possible. It was then that Sora realized that he was seeing things through Riku's eyes.

"Why do you want me? Haven't you done enough damage already?!" Riku let out an exasperated sigh as the other man laughed cruelly.

"I thought so, at first, but apparently not! I mean, look at you! You're helping that boy, and _he_! Although he's far from it, he's steps closer to reversing everything I've worked so hard for!" The demon scowled and turned around sharply with frustration.

"What plan?" Riku tried to get more information on his ulterior motive, but the dark man would have none of it.

"Oh, you're even more foolish as I recall. Do you really think that I, Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, would honestly tell you my plan? Stupid boy." Ansem shook his head, although there was a twisted smile on his face as he approached Riku's body. Sora, once again, felt panic and worry fill his mind.

Riku had a glare set on his face, but it phased not the demon.

"I am not foolish or stupid. I have my priorities straight. You're the stupid one here. Don't you know that evil never wins?" As Riku had been speaking, the smirk on Ansem's face slowly dulled. In its place was an agitated look. The demon's face seemed even darker than usual, but Riku did not back down. He stood his ground, and Sora was proud of him.

 _Sora!_

A dizzy wave hit the boy, and he felt the world blackening around him, but Riku seemed unaffected by it. The darkness was just about to claim him when he saw Ansem return to his pure darkness form. It appeared to be a claw made of dark matter, with an aura of crimson. It was headed straight for Riku, centimeters away, when Sora left the scene completely.

"Riku!" Sora woke with a start, his azure eyes snapping open. Everything was blurry and he could feel tears streaming down his cheek, leaving cold trails behind. Roxas was standing next to him, as well as Namine. They both had concerned looks on their faces, but they had eased up some when Sora woke. Sora got up from the couch quickly and grabbed Namine by the hand and dragged her upstairs quickly. Roxas followed them.

"Sora, what-?" The eldest blonde was in a state of deep confusion, but allowed the brunet to drag her around anyways. Sora led them into the room Namine had been studying the book in. Truth was that she had been ready to perform the ritual and went downstairs to get Sora when Roxas had looked at her with concern. She rushed down and Roxas had told her about his thrashing, then sudden stillness, which was followed by the tears.

Namine had preformed a basic waking spell, which worked with slight difficulty.

Sora closed the door behind Roxas.

"We have to do this now, please Namine. Riku's in danger, it's that demon again…" Namine gasped lightly while Roxas just listened in with confusion and curiosity. An air of finality set in, and Namine gained a determined look in her eyes. She met Sora's gaze and nodded.

"Alright, let's do this then. Roxas…" She turned her gaze from Sora to Roxas, who was looking terribly confused, but simply smiled in a defeated manor and left the room. She was grateful that he didn't ask any questions.

Roxas closed the door behind him, and the second the door met the frame, Namine immediately began waving her hands. Candles lit all around the room and several books floated from their place on the bookshelf onto the table. Sora watched in curious, awe-strucken wonder. His blue eyes were wide with wonder as he watched his grandmother perform the most graceful acts of magic.

Namine, in turn, had a concentrated look on her face, and she bit her rosy pink lips in a worried habit. Once everything settled, she let out a deep sigh and turned to the young brunet in the room.

"Alright, Sora. I'll need you to close your eyes and listen to exactly what I say, okay?" Sora nodded eagerly as beautifully blue hues disappeared behind closing lids. Namine let out another shaky breath, deciding not to tell Sora what was at stake if they had failed.

Failure was just not an option. The eldest grabbed Sora's hand, and he jumped just slightly from the lack of sight, but his eyes remained close none the less. Her hands were icy cold, while Sora's were warm and reassuring, like sunshine on the clearest summer afternoon. She smiled and squeezed his hand a bit, and the warm hands returned the gesture.

"Don't let go of my hand no matter what, okay?" She felt him nod his head, and she continued, "I need you to think of Riku, down to the very last hair on his head. Can you do that for me, Sora?" When she received another head nod, she added, "And don't stop thinking about him, even when I start to talk. Just keep thinking about him, and everything will work out just fine, alright?" Namine did not receive another nod, but she knew Sora had heard her. She knew that the boy must have already been fixated on his thoughts of Riku.

And fixated, Sora was. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he did not even hear the words of Namine as she spoke in the Ancient Language He remembered Riku in the most explicit detail, both in color and monochrome hues. He remembered the surprising softness of Riku's hair when he wore Sora's necklace, and he remembered the bitingly cold, wintery touch of Riku, too. Sora remembered every single aspect of Riku, even the tiniest details.

He remembered his chime of a laugh whenever Sora did something clumsy, and he remembered the worry that snuck into his voice when Sora hurt himself. The brunet remembered the first night that they had met, when Sora had intruded onto Riku's own privacy of his room. He remembered being terrified of the ghost boy, but soon making friends with him.

He remembered the stars, and how they reflected in Riku's eyes when he gazed upon them.

As Sora remembered all of this, he found that it was quickly fading to black, and he began to panic, but quickly shook the feelings away. He had to focus, and focus was exactly what Sora did. He felt a headache coming on, but he continued to think of his friend. He thought of his beautiful silver hair and his magnificent aquamarine eyes. How they shone with a new kind of light when he smiled.

But the light was fading quickly. Sora was losing sight of Riku. Darkness was taking over, surrounding him. He could feel it crawling on his skin. It scared Sora deathily, but he tried to stay calm. He tried to be brave for Riku.

His efforts were all in vain. The color was sapping from Riku's colorful self in dangerous amounts. When the color all faded and there was nothing but grey left, Riku's own body began to fade. Sora felt sick as he tried to conjure up a vivid picture of Riku, but he couldn't. It wasn't working.

He could feel his tears fall from his eyes back in the real world. He felt hands, as cold as winter's day, wipe them away. He still refused to open his eyes, he refused to give up on Riku. He tore his face from the hands, regardless of the comfort they provided.

"Sora." With the familiar voice filling his ears, the brunet allowed his eyes to snap open. His eyes filled with even more tears as he looked at Riku, in full color, standing before him. He dropped his grandmother's hand and lunged at the ghost, grabbing at his shirt as he wept into it.

"I thought- you were- you were fading! I didn't- I thought I was losing- losing you…" The brunet suddenly wiped away his newly shed tears and looked up into the aquamarine eyes of Riku. After a few brief moments of silence, Sora's face broke into a wide grin. He threw his hands up into the air and jumped around a bit.

"It worked! It actually worked..!" He ran over to Namine and trapped her in a warm, crushing Sora hug. She smiled and returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm. "Thank you, grandma Namine!" He broke apart for the hug and looked at Riku with great fervor. He looked back at Namine, then suddenly questioned her.

"Can you see him?" She smiled and shook her head lightly, her blonde hair swaying gently as she moved.

"No, but I can definitely feel his presence." She let out a happy huff of air before adding, "Welcome to my home, Riku. I've heard quite a bit about you in a short amount of time."

Riku laughed and looked at Sora, who just smiled at him. Riku reached behind his own neck and unclasped the necklace that was found there. He held it out to Sora, and when the brunet took it, the color drained from the ghost.

"Thanks Riku." The brunet smiled a gleeful smile before he remembered the odd dream he'd had earlier. "Oh my _gosh_ , Riku are you okay?!" He did a quick once over of Riku's body, searching for any cuts or bruises. Riku, however, was only staring at Sora in confusion.

"What are you talking about, Sora?" Namine was also looking at Sora confusedly, but she shrugged him off and started to open cupboards, seemingly searching for something. The young brunet didn't seem to notice, and Riku didn't care enough to watch her. Over the sound of rustling paper and clinking of glass, the two boys continued their conversation.

"I saw you in my dream… That man with the yellow eyes… he was there. Uhm.. An-Ansem. I think that's his name. Ansem. Yeah, that was it, Ans-" Behind them, Namine dropped a glass and sharply exclaimed,

"Stop! Sora, don't say that name one more time!" Her eyes were wild and worried, and she approached Sora quickly and wrapped him in a hug. Riku watched from the side with his arms crossed, secretly wanting in.

"W..wha?"

"Sora, if you call a demon's name three times, you summon it. That's the last thing we want, isn't it?" She smiled exhaustedly and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry, grandma Namine…" The brunet smiled demurely and looked at his feet, embarrassed to have almost made such a mistake. It wasn't his fault though, the young boy hadn't known any better. The platinum blonde just let out a soft chortle and ruffled the soft spikes that rested on Sora's head. His sheepish manor quickly dissipated and he hugged his grandmother once again.

"Thanks again. I love you so much!" With that, Sora bound out of the room and beckoned Riku to follow. He dropped his arms from his chest and followed the brunet with a tiny smile present on his face.

Sora led them downstairs and into the room he and Roxas were staying in during their visit. It was a fairly large room, and the walls were completely white. There were two beds in the room, almost as though it were meant to be a joint guest room. Sora flopped onto his bed, and Riku perched on the foot of the bed. Azure eyes slipped to a close, and aquamarine ones were quite alert.

Riku scanned the room. The two beds were on opposite sides of the wall, one in each corner. Beside each bed was a nightstand with a lamp on it. On the wall that both beds shared was a window. The curtains were drawn back and Riku could see that it was still daylight. He stood up and walked over to the window.

Sora must have heard him move, because he peeked an eye open.

"Riku?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes as he yawned, tired from all of the events that had already occurred in the day. Riku made a noise that showed that he acknowledged that Sora spoke, but he didn't look at him. He looked out the window and saw a rental car pull into the long driveway. Riku could tell that it was Cloud and Leon.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" He bounced out of bed and joined his closest friend in looking out the window. He saw his parents get out of the car that had parked and he gasped."Oh! Cloud and Leon are home!" A few tense moments of silence passed before Riku spoke.

"Sora… This isn't home. Where are we? How did I get here..?" Riku turned his head to look at Sora, and only then did the brunet notice the unease in the aquamarine eyes. That's when Sora realized that he never thought about how Riku would feel about leaving the house. He hadn't left it in years, because he hadn't been able, but now he is, in fact, here.

"We're at my grandma Namine's house. We kinda summoned you here because I was worried about you and scared that you were in danger! I'm sorry Riku…" The brunet felt a gush of guilt flood him, and he could just feel tears starting to form in his eyes.

Riku let out a long sigh as he went to sit on the bed.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped, huh? It's just weird for me, you know?" He laughed lightly as he looked down at his feet. He suddenly looked up to see Sora still standing by the window, crying silent tears and trying to wipe them away vigorously.

"I'm sorry…"

"Aw, Sor… Come here." Riku patted the bed space next to him, and Sora moved quickly and curled up against the other. "I'm not mad or upset, Sora." The silverette brought his transparent hand up to the crown of Sora's head and softly moved his hands through the hair that was found there.

The brunet seemed to be drifting away fast into the realm of sleep. He gradually stopped hiccupping and his breathing slowed. Soon Riku could no longer feel tears soaking through his clothes. Just as Riku himself was about to fall into his own slumber, he heard a soft, contented mumble from the sleeping boy resting against him.

"I'm just…glad you're here…" Riku smiled and allowed his own eyes to slip to a temporary close. He wasn't sure how he did it, but he kept away Sora's nightmares, and that protected him from the darkness. That alone made it worth it for him to be here with Sora.

The harmless darkness of slumber took the two of them into a separate reality, where their dreams become realities.

Meanwhile, Namine was still searching around the study for a very specific item. With any luck, it could allow her to see Sora's friend Riku. Namine was having a hard time finding the object and was on the very of giving in when she heard an encouraging meow from beside her. She turned her head to see Xion sitting next to her, blue eyes gleaming in a knowing fashion.

The black cat purred and beckoned Namine to follow. The blonde stood and followed Xion out of the room. The cat, surprisingly, led Namine to her own room. Confusion took over the woman when realization dawned upon her. She picked the feline up and coddled her for a short moment before going into her closet.

On the top shelf of the closet were many boxes. Standing on her tiptoes, Namine moved the boxes aside but still couldn't see over the top of the shelf. She looked around her room and quickly spotted a stool in the corner of her room. She grabbed it quickly and set it in front of the closet.

Keeping perfect balance, Namine stepped onto the chair and looked onto the top shelf of her closet, finding exactly what she was looking for.

The Camera Obscura.

 **xXx**

 **Oh my goodness, why do the chapters continue to have coding in them. I am so sorry. Please forgive. Please also forgive for the long wait. And also for the errors in this chapter, because I basically zoomed by while writing it. Please forgive, and please review. It would mean the world to me.**

 **With Too Much Love,**

 **Until Next Time,**

 **SilverWingDragon151**


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